ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Prime Minister's Office
PM to deliver keynote address at ASSOCHAM Foundation Week 2020 on 19th December
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will deliver the keynote address at ASSOCHAM Foundation Week 2020 on 19th December at 10:30 AM via video conferencing. Prime Minister will also present the ‘ASSOCHAM Enterprise of the Century Award’ to Shri Ratan Tata, who will receive the award on behalf of the TATA Group.
About ASSOCHAM
ASSOCHAM was established in 1920 by promoter Chambers representing all regions of India. Having in its fold over 400 Chambers and Trade Associations, and serving over 4.5 lakh members across India, ASSOCHAM has emerged as the fountainhead of knowledge for Indian industry.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
COVID-19 UPDATE
191.48 cr vaccine doses have been administered so far under Nationwide Vaccination Drive
India's Active caseload currently stands at 16,400
Active cases stand at 0.04%
Recovery Rate currently at 98.75%
2,467 recoveries in the last 24 hours increases Total Recoveries to
4,25,84,710
1,569 new cases recorded in the last 24 hours
Daily positivity rate 
Weekly Positivity Rate 
84.44 cr Total Tests conducted so far; 3,57,484 tests conducted in the last 24 hours
Ministry of Defence
Governor of Uttarakhand Lt General Gurmit Singh Flagged-off “BRO@63” Multi-Dimensional Expedition
Expedition consists four challenging activities: Mountaineering Trek, River Rafting, Cyclothon and Endurance Run
Governor of Uttarakhand, Lt General Gurmit Singh Flagged-off the “BRO@63” Multi-Dimensional Expedition from Dehradun on April 26, 2022. The expedition, a tribute to the grit & determination of the Border Roads Organisation  Karamyogis, is being organised as part of the events leading to the 63rd Raising Day of the organisation, which is slated on May 07, 2022. It is also one, in the series of events organised by the BRO celebrating Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
The Multi-dimensional Expedition includes four distinct activities, i.e., a Mountaineering Trek to the 15,000 feet Pangarchula Peak covering a distance of approximately 50 Kilometres, River Rafting in the rapids of River Ganga for 35 Kilometres, Cyclothon from Dehradun to Delhi via Chandigarh covering a distance of 591 Kilometres and Fit BRO Endurance Run from Roorkee to Delhi covering a distance of 211 Kilometres.
A total of 63 BRO Karamyogis, including six women participants, will undertake the challenging adventure over 12 days with an aim to touch cord with citizens and spread the awareness of contribution of BRO towards National Integration, Nation Building and Environmental Conservation.
Speaking on the occasion, Governor Lt General Gurmit Singh, appreciated the initiative taken by the Director General Border Roads , Lt General Rajeev Chaudhry and applauded the BRO for striking a balance between quality work and adventure activities.
Prime Minister's Office
PM congratulates Waheeda Rehman on being conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has congratulated Waheeda Rehman on being conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award.
Sharing a post on X by Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Shri Anurag Thakur, the Prime Minister said:
“Delighted that Waheeda Rehman Ji has been honored with the Dadasaheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award. Her journey in Indian cinema has left an indelible mark. A beacon of talent, dedication and grace, she embodies the best of our cinematic heritage. Congratulations to her.”
President's Secretariat
President of India Addresses Closing Ceremony of Fourth Agri Leadership Summit in Ganaur, Haryana
The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, graced and addressed the closing ceremony of the Fourth Agri Leadership Summit, organised by the government of Haryana, in Ganaur, Sonipat, today . He also presented the Haryana Kisaan Ratna Puraskaar and the Haryana Krishi Ratna Puraskaar.
Speaking on the occasion, the President said that, “Three days ago, some of our brave jawans lost their lives in a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir. Along with every Indian, I condemn this heinous crime. The entire country is in mourning with the bereaved families. On behalf of the country, I express gratitude towards our brave soldiers and security personnel.”
The President noted that the people and government of Haryana were making efforts for the overall development of the state, including in enhancing ease of doing business and improving social indicators such as the child sex ratio. Adoption of modern, 21st century technologies in agriculture was part of this process. Farmers, the President said, would benefit from such collaborations. He called for locating farming in a wider entrepreneurial context, and linking traditional farming to the agricultural value chain.
The President also appreciated that farmers in Haryana, with help from the state government, were adopting new methods to manage stubble and crop residue. He expressed confidence that farmers would help find a solution to the problem of pollution emanating from stubble burning.
Click here to see President’s Speech
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh says, Indian Institute of Public Administration  has to develop as a wide-based resource hub for all aspects related to governance
IIPA should strive to have a futuristic vision for the next 25 years
Dr. Jitendra Singh chairs meeting of Executive Council of IIPA in New Delhi
Chairing the meeting of the Executive Council of the Indian Institute of Public Administration  here today, Union Minister of State  Science & Technology; Minister of State  Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh called for preparing a roadmap to develop the Indian Institute of Public Administration  as a wide-based Resource Hub for all aspects related to governance and administration, so that it can gain the esteem it deserves as a premier institute.
The Union Minister said that the institute has to have a futuristic vision for the next 25 years to attain the goals set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and, to achieve this, the institute needs to have an integrated approach to work in cohesion with similar departments/organizations/set-ups and entities with similar scope and focus, related to training, administrative expertise. He said that being all-inclusive and open will help IIPA attain its deserved glory.
Underlining the significance and need of having serving civil servants as members of the IIPA, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, such a practice will help transform the organization with the knowledge and practical experiences of such members. He advocated bringing experts and special invitees from different streams on board so that the IIPA can become a go-to institute with certain expertise for other government organizations and even corporate sector organizations, in the times to come. The Minister highlighted the importance of having a scientific approach in all spheres of administration and IIPA.
Appreciating the work done by IIPA during COVID-9 pandemic which includes conducting 66 online courses, 46 webinars and 60 research studies, the Minister said that IIPA has the capacity and it needs to continue performing by having an enlarged pool of experts and wide spectrum of activities.
The IIPA’s Executive Council has the Hon’ble Vice President of India, Shri M Venkaiah Naidu as its President and Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, as chairman.
The meeting was attended by members of IIPA’s Executive Council, including, Shri Shekhar Dutt, former Governor, Chhattisgarh, Professor Raj Kumar, Vice Chancellor, Punjab University, Shri Srinivas R. Katikithala, Director, LBSNAA, Dr. RK Suresh Kumar, Chairman, IIPA Kerala Regional Branch, Shri SS Kshatriya, Chairman, IIPA Maharashtra Regional Branch, Professor N Lokendra Singh, Chairman, IIPA Manipur Regional Branch, Shri Arun Kumar Rath, Chairman, IIPA Odisha Regional Branch, along with Shri Surendra Nath Tripathi, DG, IIPA and Member-Secretary, EC and Shri Amitabh Ranjan, Registrar, IIPA.
Ministry of Labour & Employment
Initiative to Eliminate Discrimination of Labourers
The Government has enacted “The Equal Remuneration Act, 1976”, which inter-alia provides that there shall be no discrimination in an establishment or any unit thereof among employees on the ground of gender in matters relating to wages by the same employer, in respect of the same work or work of similar nature done by any employee and also prevent discrimination against women while making recruitment for the same work or work of similar nature, or in any condition of service subsequent to recruitment such as promotion, training or transfer. The provisions of the Act have been extended to all establishments or employment.
Further, under the provisions of the Payment of Wages Act, 1936 and the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, the wages fixed by the appropriate Government are equally payable without any discrimination amongst workers.
Moreover, The Government has enacted the four Labour Codes, namely, the Code on Wages, 2019; the Industrial Relations Code, 2020; the Code on Social Security, 2020, and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020, which interalia promote participation of workforce in a dignified manner through a number of provisions, some of which are as follows:
- No discrimination on the ground of gender in matters relating to wages, recruitment and in the conditions of employment,
- Entitlement of workers to be employed in all establishments for all types of work even before 6 AM and beyond 7 PM subject to their consent and other adequate safety measures.
- the provisions for enhancement in paid maternity leave from 12 weeks to 26 weeks, provision for mandatory crèche facility in the establishments having 50 or more employees, permitting women workers in the night shifts with adequate safety measures, etc.
This information was given by Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Shri Rameswar Teli in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.
Prime Minister's Office
PM announces 26th December as ‘Veer Baal Diwas’ to mark martyrdom of Sahibzada Zorawar Singh Ji and Sahibzada Fateh Singh Ji
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi today on the auspicious occasion of the Parkash Purab of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji, has announced that starting this year, 26th December shall be observed as ‘Veer Baal Diwas’ to mark the martyrdom of Sahibzada Zorawar Singh Ji and Sahibzada Fateh Singh Ji.
In a series of tweets, the Prime Minister said;
"Today, on the auspicious occasion of the Parkash Purab of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji, I am honoured to share that starting this year, 26th December shall be marked as ‘Veer Baal Diwas.’ This is a fitting tribute to the courage of the Sahibzades and their quest for justice.
‘Veer Baal Diwas’ will be on the same day Sahibzada Zorawar Singh Ji and Sahibzada Fateh Singh Ji attained martyrdom after being sealed alive in a wall. These two greats preferred death instead of deviating from the noble principles of Dharma.
The bravery and ideals of Mata Gujri, Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji and the 4 Sahibzades give strength to millions of people. They never bowed to injustice. They envisioned a world that is inclusive and harmonious. It is the need of the hour for more people to know about them."
Ministry of Defence
Killers' Squadron Annual Awards Function 2020-21 Conducted in Mumbai
The ships of the 22nd Missile Vessel Squadron, the current Avataar of the Missile Boats that caused havoc in Karachi in Dec 1971, had their Annual Awards ceremony on 28 May 21 at the Mumbai Dockyard. Aptly called by the epithet ‘Killers’, these sleek and swift ships are the first to go into harm’s way and are the ‘First Strike’ elements of the Indian Navy. They live by the singular aim and motto of ‘Hit first and Hit hard’. In fact, the Navy Day each year is celebrated on 04 Dec to commemorate the heroic acts of these very bravehearts.
Vice Admiral R Hari Kumar, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command gave away the trophies to the deserving ships which are based in Mumbai under Rear Adm Atul Anand, Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area. Himself a ‘Killer’, the Commander-in-Chief exhorted the ships to keep their powder dry and be ready to strike fear amidst the enemy when called upon to do so, in pursuance of the rich legacy that the ‘Killers’ have inherited from their glorious predecessors.
-------------------------
ABBB/MK/VM/MS
(Visitor Counter : 252
Ministry of Minority Affairs
STATE MINORITY COMMISSIONS
At present, 18 States/UTs have set up statutory State Minority Commissions. These States/UTs are Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and West Bengal.
The Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram  is implemented through the State Governments/UT administrations. The Department in the State looking after minority welfare is the nodal department for implementation of PMJVK. The ranking of States/UTs on their performance under PMJVK has not been done. Further, the schemes implemented by this Ministry are not promoted by States or State Minority Commissions.
However, the Ministry of Minority Affairs promotes its schemes through various print advertisements in National and regional dailies through Bureau of Outreach and Communication . Publicity campaigns are also carried out by the Ministry under electronic media as well as Outdoor Publicity modes through BOC/NFDC / Doordarshan or empanelled agencies of these offices. In addition, Ministry also supports conducting workshops/seminars through Project Implementing Agencies  to create awareness about schemes/programmes implemented by the Ministry.
This information was given by the Union Minister of Minority Affairs, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, in a written reply in Lok Sabha.
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Government refutes speculations on interim appointments in CBI
Reports have appeared in a section of the media to the effect that the Government is considering the following two options to end the alleged policy paralysis in CBI:-
- Appointing an OSD of DG rank to look after the affairs of the CBI
- To place a senior IAS officer in a supervisory role.
The Government of India strongly refutes this imputations. It is clarified that the Government has taken the step of divesting the present Director and Special Director of the CBI of their powers under section 4 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946 as an interim measure.
The matter is sub judice before the Supreme Court and any action that is to be taken will be strictly in accordance with the decision of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in the pending proceedings and not before the Hon’ble Supreme Court decides the matter. What is stated in the reports are absolutely false.
Ministry of Power
Powergrid Commissions Transformer at Referral Hospital Sub-Station, Nagaland for Reliable Power Supply to Oxygen Plant and Nearby Areas
Maharatna Government of India CPSU under Ministry of Power, Power Grid Corporation of India Limited , is working proactively 24x7 to ensure reliable supply of power during the pandemic through its transmission network.
To reduce the instances of power interruptions, and ensure efficient power supply to Nagaland’s only Oxygen Plant, Government of Nagaland, and its Department of Power Nagaland  urged POWERGRID to commission a 10 Mega Volt Amperes  Transformer at Referral Hospital Sub-station, at Dimapur.
Responding to the call of the hour, POWERGRID team swung into action and within two days, successfully commissioned the Power Transformer at 19:30 hrs on 22.05.2021, which would lead to reliable power supply to oxygen plant as well as nearby areas.
The new Power Transformer commissioned by POWERGRID at 33/11 kV Referral Hospital Nagaland will add to the power system reliability of BMA’s Liquid Plant situated at Naga United village, which was earlier fed by 5 MVA Transformer. By commissioning the transformer, quality power is now available to oxygen plant round-the-clock through 11 kV outgoing Rongmei feeder of Sub-station.
This work was completed by POWERGRID engineers during the strict lockdown following COVID-19 protocols as part of the North Eastern Region Power System Improvement Project . NERPSIP is a Central sector plan scheme of the Ministry of Power, Government of India, envisioned to drive economic development of the North Eastern region of the country.
The scheme is being implemented through POWERGRID, in association with six beneficiary North Eastern states namely, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura. The main objective of the project is Government of India’s commitment for the total economic development of North Eastern Region and to strengthen the Intra-State Transmission & Distribution Infrastructure in the North East region. Implementation of this scheme will create a reliable power grid and improve NER States' connectivity to the upcoming load centers, and thus extend the benefits of the grid connected power to all categories of consumers in North Eastern region. Team POWERGRID, as part of its steadfast commitment towards service of the nation, is leaving no stone unturned to ensure power transmission during the pandemic.
President's Secretariat
President of India presents Tagore Awards for Cultural Harmony for the Years 2014, 2015 and 2016
The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, presented the Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony for the years 2014, 2015 and 2016 to Shri Rajkumar Singhajit Singh, Chhayanaut  and Shri Ram Vanji Sutar respectively, at a function held in New Delhi today .
Speaking on the occasion, the President said this Award is a celebration of Indian traditions of culture and of our civilisational wealth – whether in literature or music, art or drama, sculpture or handicrafts, design or digital art. Each region in our country has a distinct cultural identity. Yet, in its essence, culture does not divide – it unites and harmonises all of India and all of humanity.
Pointing to the contributions of the award winners, the President said that Shri Rajkumar Singhajit Singh is one of our greatest exponents of Manipuri dance. He has bridged this age-old art form of Manipur with not only modern sensibilities but with other parts of the country. Chhayanaut is an organisation that has promoted and preserved the works and philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore in Bangladesh. And Shri Ram Vanji Sutar is a sculptor and scholar who represents an art tradition that goes back thousands of years to our ancient past. These days he is most well-known for the Statue of Unity.
Among the dignitaries present on the occasion were Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi and Minister of State , Ministry of Culture, Dr Mahesh Sharma.
Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
Traffic Separation Scheme for the south-west coast
The Directorate General of Shipping has proposed the establishment of a Traffic Separation Scheme  off the south-west coast of India to prevent collision incidents between merchant vessels and fishing vessels off the coast of Kerala. This proposal has been drawn taking into consideration past collision incidents off the Indian coast, traffic patterns of merchant vessels for past years, and optimum sea routes, in consonance with the current traffic flow, including simplification of traffic in converging areas off the coast of Kerala. The proposal has also considered aspects pertaining to the safety of navigation, maritime security and the separation of opposing streams of traffic to reduce incidents of collision in Indian waters.
Stakeholder consultations are in progress for establishing the Traffic Separation Scheme – TSS in the south-west coast. The proposed TSS lanes are currently under consideration, and will be located at a distance of about 90 nautical miles west of Mangalore in Karnataka, with the lanes leading in a south-easterly direction to the southernmost tip of India and ending about 40 nautical miles off south of Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. The average distance from the coast is about 50 nautical miles.
The proposal will be put on the DGS website before finalization, and will also be sent to stakeholders. The promulgation of TSS on the south-west coast of India is expected to shift the density of merchant traffic away from the coast and merchant ship traffic will become more concentrated in the established TSS. This is expected to result in more sea room for fishing vessels to operate safely and will, therefore, be beneficial to the fishing industry.
Ministry of Railways
Punctuality Performance of Indian Railways improved in 2019-20 in comparison to 2018-19
Mail/Express Train punctuality improved to 74.21% in 2019-20 in comparison to 67.05% in 2018-19
Passenger Train punctuality improved to 70.54% in 2019-20 in comparison to 66.58% in 2018-19
Indian Railways is continuously working for the improvement of the punctuality of the trains. With its continued effort, Indian Railways has succeeded in improving the Punctuality Performance in 2019-20 in comparison to 2018-19. The average of punctuality performance percentage from April to September in the financial year 2019-20 of Mail/Express trains has improved to 74.21% in comparison to 67.05% from April to September in the financial year 2018-19.
The punctuality performance percentage of the Passenger Trains of Indian Railways for the period of April to September in the financial year 2019-20 improved to 70.54% in comparison to 66.58% from April to September in the financial year 2018-19.
The details of punctuality performance percentage of Indian Railways during 2018-19 and 2019-20 month-wise are as follows:-
|
|
Punctuality % on Indian Railways during 2018-19 & 2019-20
|
|
Month
|
|
Mail /Express
|
|
Passenger
|
|
2018-19
|
|
2019-20
|
|
2018-19
|
|
2019-20
|
|
Apr
|
|
60.52
|
|
72.13
|
|
65.21
|
|
68.87
|
|
May
|
|
59.95
|
|
68.78
|
|
64.86
|
|
67.33
|
|
Jun
|
|
65.23
|
|
70.83
|
|
65.68
|
|
67.26
|
|
Jul
|
|
70.12
|
|
74.10
|
|
66.96
|
|
69.58
|
|
Aug
|
|
72.66
|
|
78.20
|
|
67.83
|
|
74.44
|
|
Sep
|
|
73.52
|
|
81.42
|
|
68.97
|
|
75.77
|
|
IR PP%
|
|
67.05
|
|
74.21
|
|
66.58
|
|
70.54
In order to improve the punctuality, Railways has taken numerous steps including:
- Rigorous monitoring at Divisional, Zonal and Railway Board levels.
- Removal of infrastructure bottlenecks in a planned manner.
- Integrated Mega Blocks are planned in such a way that all asset maintenance departments can do their work simultaneously.
- End to end running of some trains with diesel locomotives to avoid detention on account of loco changing from diesel to electric.
- Conversion of conventional rakes of Mail/Express trains  into LHB  rakes.
- Rationalization of Time Table in order to make a group of similar speed trains.
- Curtailment of stoppage time at major terminals.
- Commissioning of 1st phase of Dedicated Freight Corridor.
- High capacity water pumps at watering stations to minimize detention on this account.
- Provision of Bye-pass stations to avoid engine reversal etc.
- Also, for attaining accuracy in punctuality data, the timing of arrival and departures are prominently being captured automatically through data-loggers. It is being monitored through dashboards – called “Rail Drishti” at highest level to promote punctuality.